Kirkland's Inc.
KIRK, -2.78%
is estimated to report a loss of 27 cents a share in the fourth quarter.

After Thursday's closing bell, Dell Inc.
DELL
reported a fiscal third-quarter profit of $766 million, or 34 cents a share, on revenue of $15.65 billion. During the same period a year ago, the world's No. 2 PC company earned $601 million, or 27 cents a share on $14.42 billion in sales. Excluding a series of charges and benefits, Dell would have earned 35 cents a share. By that measure the company met the earnings forecast of analysts who also estimated Dell to report $15.35 billion in revenue. Among its main business areas, Dell reported a 1% decline in revenue from desktop PC sales, while sales of mobility products, including laptops, rose 19%. See full story

Watch list

Abbott Laboratories
ABT, +0.46%
said the Circulatory System Devices Advisory Panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended approval for the Xience V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System. Xience V is a drug eluting stent intended for use in the treatment of coronary artery disease, Abbot said. The recommendation comes with conditions related to post-marketing study requirements and language related to dual antiplatelet therapy.

Alliance Data Systems Corp.
ADS, +0.71%
said it hasn't been approached by private-equity firm Blackstone Group LP (BX) regarding the renegotiation of its acquisition price of Alliance Data for $81.75 a share. In response to certain rumors regarding the status of its acquisition by Blackstone, Alliance Data said neither its board or the special committee has met with Blackstone to discuss renegotiating the purchase price. Alliance Data, a customer service management services provider, said it is continuing to work with Blackstone to consummate the deal, which is valued at $7.8 billion, including the assumption of certain debt.

Andersons Inc.
ANDE, +0.89%
raised its full-year earnings estimate to $3.40 to $3.60 a share from $3.15 to $3.35 a share. The agricultural company said the adjustment is due in part to continued increases in its grain business. Analysts are projecting earnings of $3.33 a share.

Apple Inc.
AAPL, +1.72%
and AT&T Inc.
T, -1.02%
plan to offer a version of the iPhone that operates on 3G networks sometime in 2008, according to remarks made by AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson on Wednesday. The new phone is meant to address the current problem of 3G chips draining the iPhone's battery too quickly.

Brocade Communications Systems Inc.'s
BRCD, -0.67%
fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose to $32 million, or 8 cents a share, from $20 million, or 7 cents a share, a year earlier, as results were helped by an investment gain of $11.4 million. The data-storage provider said revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 27 climbed to $340 million from $208.8 million. Analysts had predicted non-GAAP earnings of 13 cents a share on revenue of $341 million.

Drew Industries Inc.
DW, +0.00%
said its board of directors approved a stock repurchase of up to 1 million shares. The company will finance the buyback with available cash. The company has 21.9 million shares outstanding.

Freddie Mac
FRE, +0.00%
priced its $6 billion fixed-to-floating rate non-convertible non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock at $25 a share. The shares have a fixed dividend rate of 8.375% through Dec. 31, 2012. The dividend will then rise to 416 basis points over 3-month London Interbank Offered Rate or 7.875%, Freddie Mac said. The shares are expected to be issued on Dec. 4. The mortgage giant is selling shares to raise more money after unexpectedly large subprime-related losses.

J. Crew Group Inc.
JCG
reported third-quarter net income of $26.8 million, or 42 cents a share, compared with net income of $26 million, or 40 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue rose to $332.7 million for the three months ended Nov. 3. Analysts had estimated J. Crew would earn 36 cents a share on sales of $312 million. J. Crew lifted its 2007 earnings target to a range of $1.50 to $1.52 a share, as compared to its previous target of $1.42 to $1.46.

McDonald's Corp.
MCD, -1.86%
said it named Neil Golden chief marketing officer of McDonald's USA, effective April 1. Golden, who has been with the company for 18 years, will replace William Lamar Jr. Lamar will retire from the company at the end of the first quarter of 2008.

Mentor Graphics Inc.
MENT
said it swung to a third-quarter loss of $9.15 million, or 10 cents a share, from a year-earlier profit of $2.53 million, or 3 cents a share, due in part to a slowing U.S. economy. The semiconductor design and consulting company's revenue dipped to $186.3 million from $190.6 million a year ago, for the period ended Oct. 31. Analysts had expected earnings of 4 cents a share on revenue of $190.5 million. The company also backed its guidance for 2008 and 2009, expecting earnings of 50 cents a share on revenue of $860 million for 2008. Mentor Graphics expects 2009 earnings of about 78 cents a share on revenue of $920 million.

Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc.
MAA, +0.19%
said its board raised the quarterly dividend by 1 cent to 61.5 cents. The dividend is payable Jan. 31 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 15.

Morgan Stanley
MS, -0.59%
said Zoe Cruz is retiring as co-president of the firm. The financial services firm named Walid Chammah and James Gorman co-presidents. See full story

OmniVision Technologies Inc.'s
OVTI, +1.49%
fiscal second-quarter net income rose to $20.5 million, or 36 cents a share, from $5.42 million, or 10 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 31 increased to $232.6 million from $137.7 million a year ago. Analysts had predicted second-quarter earnings of 43 cents a share and revenue of $222.7 million. OmniVision expects third-quarter earnings of 26 cents to 39 cents a share and revenue of $220 million to $240 million.

Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
PNCL
named Donald Breeding chairman of the company, replacing Stephen Gorman, who resigned. The airline holding company said Breeding, a director since 2003, has served as president and chief executive of Airline Management LLC.

ShoreTel Inc.
SHOR
a provider of IP telecom systems, said it filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission to withdraw a registration to have affiliates of Lehman Brothers sell 4.4 million company shares. The registration was filed on Nov. 19. Shoretel is withdrawing the registration "due to the unwillingness of the selling stockholder to sell shares under the current capital market conditions," the company said in a statement.

Sprint Nextel Corp.
S, +0.90%
rejected a $5 billion investment offer by South Korea's SK Telecom
SKM, +2.06%
and private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site, citing people familiar with the matter. The group wanted to install Sprint Nextel's former chairman Tim Donahue as chief executive, the newspaper said. Donahue and the investment consortium proposed the deal before Thanksgiving in a letter to Sprint's board, according to the Journal. See full story

Standex International Corp.
SXI, +0.43%
said its chief financial officer, Christian Storch, will resign effective Dec. 13 to take the same position at another, unidentified publicly traded company. Standex said it hired a recruiter and is "moving aggressively" to fill the position.

US Airways Group Inc.
LCC, +1.12%
CEO Doug Parker, President J. Scott Kirby and other senior executives entered into new compensation agreements with the airline carrier to receive benefits in the event of a takeover or a merger that involved more than 50% of the voting power of the company. Under the agreements, the executives are entitled to payments equal to at least twice their annual base salary, the carrier said in a filing. The new compensation agreements come as the heads of several major airlines, including Parker, have noted that airline consolidation is only a matter of time.

Zumiez Inc.'s
ZUMZ, -1.47%
fiscal third-quarter net income rose 19%, helped in part by a 13% boost in same-store sales. The specialty apparel retailer's earnings increased to $8.15 million, or 28 cents a share, from $6.83 million, or 24 cents a share, a year earlier. Net sales for the quarter ended Nov. 3 rose 26% to $104 million from $82.3 million a year ago, the company said. Analysts had predicted third-quarter earnings of 28 cents a share and revenue of $103.8 million. Zumiez expects 2007 earnings of 92 cents to 94 cents a share. Analysts predict earnings of 94 cents a share for the year.

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